TV & Movies
The P-Valley Soundtrack Is A Tribute To Southern Hip-Hop
The music in Starz's newest drama is just as authentic as its characters.
Starz's newest drama P-Valley is filled with feats of creativity, from the acrobatic strength of pole dancers to the business schemes employed to keep the strip club The Pynk afloat. Yet another one of those feats is the show's music, as the P-Valley soundtrack goes deep on the Southern hip-hop that's essential to The Pynk's clientele.
The series, which is set in Mississippi's "Dirty Delta" in a fictional town called Chucalissa, has a noir flavor that creator Katori Hall calls "Delta Noir," because it "takes traditional noir and does a lil' twerk on it," she told Metro Philly. The Memphis, Tennessee, native grew up close to the Mississippi state line, and the show is inspired by her experiences. "I wanted to show folks the South that I know and love — in all its darkness and its light." So it's only natural that there are plenty of Memphis artists on the P-Valley soundtrack.
It's a credit to music supervisors Stephanie Diaz-Matos and Sarah Bromberg (who works at Insecure creator Issa Rae's RAEDIO) that the songs work so well in the series. Many of the artists featured are from the Deep South, helping create that signature "Delta Noir" atmosphere that Hall describes.
In addition to songs from Southern artists like Duke Deuce, Robnhood Tra, and the late Koopsta Knicca, the soundtrack features an original song from Memphis native Jucee Froot ("Down in the Valley"), in addition to two songs performed by P-Valley castmembers ("Ten Percent" by Harriett D. Foy and "Sit On My Lap" by J. Alphonse Nicholson, respectively).
Here is all of the music featured in P-Valley so far, with more assuredly to come.
"In Dis Hoe" — Duke Deuce
Deuce hails from Hall's hometown of Memphis, where he's keeping the crunk genre alive. He blew up in 2017, per XXL, with his track "Whola Lotta." He's since signed with the Atlanta-based Quality Control Music label, and told the hip-hop magazine that he hopes to become the "biggest artist from Memphis."
"Know What I Mean" — OHNO
LA artist OHNO raps in both Spanish and English and is known for his tracks like "No Dummy," "Chicle," and "Yo Se."
"Bu$y" — Jus Bentley
Jus Bentley's track, "Bu$y," is off the Memphis rapper's 2018 album On My Own.
"Thirty8" — Robnhood Tra
"Thirty8" is Robnhood Tra's most popular song, and it's easy to see why. It's a catchy, upbeat track that Pitchfork chose for its song of the day in 2019. The Atlanta rapper has two albums — 2018's Exit 66 and Ferrari N A Junkyard, which came out last year — in addition to his 2020 single, "Rap Bout."
"Turn Up" — S3nsi Molly, Lil Brook
S3nsi Molly's real name is Marissa White, according to Nylon, and she's from Arlington, Texas. She's signed to the prestigious Def Jam label and has a joint album with Lil Brook, who is also featured on this song from P-Valley, "Turn Up." Molly told Nylon that she met Lil Brook in high school, and their friendship soon turned them into to collaborators. "I was shooting a video in December of 2017, and she came to it," the rapper recalled. "Ever since then, she was just at my house every day. One day, I told her, 'Get on the song.'"
"Life's a Bitch" — Jucee Froot
Memphis-based rapper Jucee Froot is about to blow up (pun intended). Not only has she has collaborated with Rico Nasty, Rick Ross, and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, but her songs have been featured on Insecure ("Eat Itself"), Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey ("Danger"), and now P-Valley.
"Anna Got Me Clickin'" — Koopsta Knicca
Three 6 Mafia member Koopsta Knicca died after having a stroke in 2015, but the Memphis rapper's music still lives on.
"Neat" — Q Money
Cleveland rapper Q Money's (real name Qamar Williams) 2018 single "Neat" has over 10 million views on YouTube.
"Finer Things" — FEYI
FEYI was born in Dublin to Nigerian parents, according to VoyageATL. They later moved to Indiana, where she began uploading SoundCloud mixes in high school, citing Cardi B, Travis Scott, and Nicki Minaj as inspirations. "FEYI is everyone's confident alter ego," she told the Atlanta-based magazine. "You can listen to me when you want to believe in yourself or you just need someone to relate to.... I stand for owning your individuality and loving who you are."
"Control Me" — VanJess
Sisters Ivana and Jessica Nwokike got their big break on YouTube, where they started releasing covers before making their own R&B. "Control Me" is off their 2018 album, Silk Canvas.
"MUMBO JUMBO" — Tierra Whack
If you're a hip-hop fan, you likely already know Tierra Whack — a rapper out of Philly known for tracks like "Hungry Hippo." Her unsettling music video for "MUMBO JUMBO" was nominated for a Grammy in 2018, and the song is also featured in P-Valley.
"Down in the Valley" — Jucee Froot
"Down in the Valley" is an original Jucee Froot song, which plays over the show's opening credits.
"Ten Percent" — Harriett D. Foy
Harriett D. Foy plays Patrice Woodbine in P-Valley and lends her vocals to this original gospel track.
"Sit On My Lap" — J. Alphonse Nicholson
J. Alphonse Nicholson, who plays Lil Murda in P-Valley, performed "Sit On My Lap" for the Starz show.
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